The Donner Party
Dramatic Opera in 3 acts; libretto (English) by Maria Woodward
Based on the prize winning book by George Keithley
Duration: 2 hours, 10 minutes
14 singers: 2 sopranos, 2 mezzo-sopranos, 1 contralto, 3 tenors,1 tenor buffo,3 baritones, 2 basses, with chorus of men, women and children.
2 Fl. (2 dbl. Picc.), Ob., 2 Cl., Bn.,
2 Hn., Trpt., Trb., Tuba
Timp. + 2
Harp, Celeste, Organ, Banjo,
Strings
Difficult
Audio Excerpts
Tamsen Donner
Concert version of The Donner Party in 2 acts (suitable for semi-staging)
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
5 singers: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass
with 2 children, chorus, originnal orchestraltion
Difficult
Audio Exserpts
Song of Pegasus
Fantasy opera in 2 acts; libretto (English) by Maria Woodward
Based on the book In Noah’s Ark by Rumer Godden
Duration: l hour, 30 minutes
6 singers: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, 2 baritones, bass, with chorus of animal
6 bit roles (may be chorus personnel)
Fl., Ob., Cl., Bn.
2 Hr., Trpt.
Timp. + 2
Harp, Celeste
Strings
Moderately difficult; suitable for college-level performers
Audio Excerpts
Concert Version
I hour with Two-pianos accompaniment
The Audition of Molly Bloom
Scena ed Aria (Opera Buffo) from Ulysses by James Joyce
Duration: 12’
Actor, Mezzo-soprano, Clarinet, Viola or Cello and Piano
Moderately difficult; suitable for college-level performers
Audio excerpts
CHAMBER
top of page
Sonata for Violin and Piano
Duration: 15 ‘
Difficult
Audio excerpts
Reviews
String Quartet No. 1 (Pegasus)
Duration: 18’
Difficult
Audio excerpts
String Quartet No. 2 (Windows)
with Soprano
versions high or low voice, with piano accompaniment
On poems of Cavafy: Windows; By the Open Window; Afternoon Sun; Ode and Elegy.
Duration: 12’
Difficult
Audio excerpts
Trio for Harp, Flute and Viola
Duration: 12’ 30’’
Audio excerpts
Reviews
Serenade for Piano, Violin and Cello (Trio)
Duration: 12’
Difficult
Audio excerpts
Sonata for Two-Pianos and Percussion (Christmas)
Duration: 18’
Timp. + 1
Two pianos
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Lear Music, A Dramatic Suite for Wind Instruments, Percussion and 2 Speakers
Duration: 26’
With spoken parts for King Lear and Cordelia; 5 Scenes with introduction and 4 interludes
Fl., Cl., 2Hn., 2 Trpt., Trb.
Timp + 1
Harp
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
Daughter of Lear
Version of Lear Music with singing parts for Lear (tenor) and Cordelia (soprano)
Duration: 26’
Fl., Cl., 2Hn., 2 Trpt., Trb.
Timp + 1
Harp
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
From the Book of Love
On poems of Blanche Shoemaker: Vocalize; You are like a million birds; I walk alone;
It rains, beloved; To love you like a midnight storm; I see you coming toward me.
Duration: 15’
soprano, violin or flute, and piano
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
Emily Dickinson’s American Garden Songbook
Version with piano accompaniment
second version with Soprano, Horn, and Piano.
Nine songs on poems of Emily Dickinson: Into my garden come; A Clover; The Rose; Anemone; A Spider and a Flower; A Caterpillar; Would you like to buy a flower? Dandelions; The Gentian.
Duration: 13’
Soprano, Violin, Clarinet and Piano
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
The Songs of Pegasus
Suite of 5 songs from the Pegasus opera: I Am Poetry; Serenade; Once I was Young; Little Drops of Water; A Fable.
Duration: 10’
Soprano, Violin and Cello
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
Century Songs
Version with piano accompaniment
Duration: 8’
On poems of Robert Louis Stevenson: What Man May Learn & Gates of Gold
mezzo-soprano and piano
The Household Muse & Not Yet My Soul
duets for mezzo-soprano, baritone and piano
string quartet and flute
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
Symphony No. 1 (Winter Scenes)
First Snow, Winter Solstice, Blizzard, Winter’s End
Duration: 24’
2 Fl. (2 dbl. Picc.), Ob., 2 Cl., Bn.
2 Hn., Trpt., Trb., Tuba
Timp. + 2
Harp, Celeste, Organ, Banjo,
Strings
Moderately difficult
Program Notes
Audio Excerpts
Second Symphony (Lear)
Passacaglia, Fugue, Fanfares and Lament, Finale
Duration: 20'
2 Fl. (2 dbl. Picc.), 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn.
4 Hn., 2 Trpt., 2 Trb., Tuba
Timp. + 2
Harp
Piano
Strings
Difficult
Program Notes
Legend for Orchestra
Ballet in one act (Prelude with 8 scenes)
Duration: 20’
2 fl., Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn.
2 Hr., Trpt., Trb.
Timp. + 2
Harp
Piano
Strings
Moderately difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
Fantasia for Strings
string orchestra with string quartet
Duration: 14’
Difficult
Program Notes
Marinsong
string orchestra
Duration: 10’
Moderately difficult (suitable for college-level players)
Program Notes
Legend of Sleepy Hollow
version for two-pianos
Fantasy for orchestra with narrator (optional)
Duration: 22’
2 Fl., 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn.
3 Hr., 2 Trpt., 3 Trb.
Timp.
Piano
Strings
Not difficult (suitable for high school players)
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Adagietto for Strings
string orchestra
Duration: 5’
Moderately difficult
Program Notes
Concerto for Harp and Orchestra
Duration: 14’
2Fl., Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn.
2 Hn., Trpt., Trb.
Perc.
Strings
Difficult
Program Notes
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (Fantasy Variations)
Duration: 18’
2 Fl. (2 dbl. on Picc.) 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn.
2 Hn., 2 Trpt., 2 Trb., Tuba
Timp. + 2
Strings
Second Version for Violin
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio Excerpts
Christmas Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Duration: 18’
2Fl., 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn.
3 Hn., 2 Trpt., 3 Trb., Tuba
Timp. + 2
Strings
(second piano reduction)
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio Excerpts
Concerto Baroque (Concertino)
for piano and string orchestra
also for piano and string quartet (second piano reduction)
Duration: 9’
Moderately difficult (suitable for high school players)
Program Notes
Audio Excerpts
Reviews
Concerto Breve (Concertino)
for piano and string orchestra with woodwinds
(second piano reduction)
Duration: 7’
Not difficult (suitable for intermediate players)
Program Notes
Audio Excerpts
Windows
high or low voice, with piano accompaniment
Duration: 12’
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpt
Reviews
Century Songs
mezzo-soprano and baritone, with piano accompaniment
Duration: 8’
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
Emily Dickinson’s American Garden Songbook
Soprano, with piano accompaniment
Duration: 13’
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Suite for Piano
Prelude, Fugue, Chorale, Burlesque, Toccata
Duration: 15’
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
Les Hommages
24 preludes in 24 keys
Duration: 50’
Two preludes each in the styles of Poulenc, Satie, Prokofieff, Stravinsky,
Chopin, Berg, Joplin, Fauré, Bartók. Gershwin, Liszt, and Ravel
Very Difficult
Program Notes
Audio Excerpts
Reviews
Sonata for Two Pianos (Four Hands in Three Movements)
Duration: 12’
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio Excerpts
Sonata (Christmas)
The Night Before Christmas; Silent Night; Sleigh Jinks.
Duration: 18’
Difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Dickinson Dialogue
On poems of Emily Dickinson
Duration: 8’
Mixed chorus and girls chorus and orchestra
2 Fl., 2 Ob., 2 Cl., 2 Bn.
2 Hn., 2 Trpt., 2 Trb., Tuba
Organ
Strings
Moderately difficult (suitable for high school performers)
Program notes
Audio excerpts
Campfire Songs
3 songs from The Donner Party: The Big Blue River; Summer Has Ended; Three Weeks in September.
mixed chorus and orchestra or piano
Moderately difficult (suitable for high school performers)
Program notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
CHILDREN
top of page
Legend of Sleepy Hollow
For two pianos with narrator (optional)
Duration: 15’
Not difficult (suitable for high school players
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
In Noah’s Ark
version for girl’s chorus
book by Rumer Godden
Duration: 20’
The animal chorus sings 9 songs from the opera Song of Pegasus, for children’s chorus,
Not difficult
Program Notes
Audio excerpts
Reviews
The Night before Christmas
a cappella, setting for Clement Clark Moore’s classic Christmas poem
Duration: 5’
for girl’s chorus
Moderately difficult
Program Notes
Audio Excerpts